This Online Vintage Bicycle Museum is a public internet database for fellow enthusiasts of vintage bicycles and tricycles.

I’m not an expert, just a vintage vehicle enthusiast and collector with many old cycles.

When I buy an old vehicle, I research its marque; it’s a great way to learn about 20th century social history. I find automobilia and ephemera at autojumbles and shows, and spend my spare time building websites to share what I’ve discovered. I hope this website may help by cross-referencing info and images to identify machines or parts …and also provide pleasure to all who enjoy vintage motoring as much as I do.

Anyone can copy whatever they wish without asking me. If you’re feeling generous, perhaps you can add a credit and/or a link to this website.

‘Old Bike’ will always be a work in progress. I have other vehicle museum websites to research, maintain and update (as well, of course, as the vintage vehicles themselves). Even when typically atrocious British summer weather chains me to the computer rather than inspiring vintage motoring, motorcycling, scootering, cyclemotoring or pedalling around the Sussex hills, with the enormous piles of literature spread around this room begging to be added to my websites, I can’t see me ever catching up.

My day job entails restoration and sales of vintage motorcycles and cars. I always have restorations on the go. As my bicycles are not for sale (though I do exchanges with other collectors), sales vehicles generally take precedence.

We don’t usually restore old vehicles cosmetically, unless they’re too far gone. We treasure examples with original paintwork. The main focus is functionality. In recent years I seem to spend more time locating obscure parts, restoring, researching and writing about them than I actually spend riding them😦

The 1914 Golden Sunbeam Tricycle pictured above is an example of the unrestored condition we prefer. Nevertheless, some bikes are too far gone, and a repaint is the only option. My good friend Pat, who lives in France, has restored many of the bikes you see here. We started pooling our resources years ago when we realized that what’s exotic to collectors in one location is more commonplace elsewhere. I send him fifties 3-speed gents bikes to restore and re-sell in France, and some old British bikes for his personal collection. In exchange I receive various French motorcycles and cyclemotors to re-sell, and German bikes that he’s restored for my personal collection. We spend more time doing this than may be healthy, but derive an enormous amount of pleasure from it.

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You’re welcome to email me. I hope you enjoy this site.

UPDATE: Since setting up this website, I’ve noticed an increasing interest among younger enthusiasts for motorized bicycles, clip-ons and cycle attachment engines.

That’s been my main area of interest and specialization for many years, so I’ve now added more of my cyclemotors and BMA’s to this website for varied interest.

The preservation of old bicycles is mostly in the hands of folks of similar vintage! It’s high time younger people discovered the hobby, and I hope your visit here will inspire new interest in old bicycles.

If you come across an old sit-up-and-beg cycle in your local area, why not buy it?

I prefer to retain the original patina of old vehicles but restore them mechanically. This is a cheaper practical way to discover how the mechanical components operate and develop basic skills and experience. Ebay now makes it much easier to locate parts. You’ll soon be well on your way through your first restoration and ready to take it to one of those excellent old steam fairs or vintage shows that take place all over the country in the summer.

But beware – old vehicles are addictive! Once you’ve bought your first one, the whole family might be drawn into your hobby …and increasingly adventurous projects may soon start accumulating inside the garage.

The only commercial link is for my vintage vehicle sales website, above, which also provides a public database for the vehicles concerned…

Buy a Vintage Car, 3-wheeler, motorcycle, scooter, moped, cyclemotor…

Ready to buy vintage?

It just got much easier. BuyVintage Online Auctions had 100 entries in the first auction in March 2008, and a further 100 in the second one in May 2008. The current auction, from 2009 onward, also has many rare and interesting oddities to choose from.

Online vehicle museums are a new idea. I hope this inspires other enthusiasts to embrace technology. Digi-cameras now make it easy to take photos, and it’s not that difficult to upload photos to your computer, scan literature, and build simple blogs or websites.

Why hide your catalogues in a drawer, your bikes in a shed and your knowledge in your head?

Old folks considered bicycles the devil’s own transport when they came out in the 19th century. Every child has one now. Come on folks, fight technophobia. Combine modern technology with vintage technology …and put your collections online so others can enjoy them and learn about Great Britain’s glorious vehicle manufacturing history!

As Albert Einstein pointed out, Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving…